Seychelles Founding President passed away

eTurboNews has received word that Founding President of the Seychelles, Sir James R. Mancham, has passed away.

eTurboNews has received word that Founding President of the Seychelles, Sir James R. Mancham, has passed away.

According to the source, it may have been a stroke that ultimately took his life after suffering a heart attack not too long ago, although that did not appear to have slowed him down any.

eTN received an opinion article written by him just yesterday, as he was a regular contributor, about his concern over the transition taking place in Seychelles’ government. He also just received a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Global Energy Parliament just a couple of weeks prior to that in recognition of his lifelong dedication to global peace, by the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka.


Said eTN publisher Juergen T. Steinmetz, “He was a man of peace and loved Seychelles.” Everyone at eTN is shocked over the news and saddened to lose such a fine statesman and good friend.

Sir James led Seychelles into independence from Britain and assumed the office of President on June 29, 1976, before he was overthrown and exiled after Albert Rene, who then assumed the office of President, and captured power on June 5 in a coup.

Sir James returned to his native Seychelles after former President James Alix Michel had started to open up the political space, and under this change of policy, Sir James become a respected Ambassador of the Seychelles at home and abroad, where he gained fast prominence as an advocate for world peace and for reconciliation at home.


Seychelles is poorer for his passing and for his absence at a time when the country is undergoing political change and needed a man of his caliber and stature to act as senior statesman for all Seychellois.

Sir James Mancham was born on August 11, 1939.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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